ITEXPO NEWS: World's First Skype-Certified PBX Gateway

While roaming the aisles of the show, I came across one of the more intriging products I've seen all week -- a new key system/PBX gateway that lets SOHO and small businesses access Skype's VoIP service to make and receive free and low-cost long distance phone calls worldwide.

Called the VoSKY Exchange, from Actiontec Electronics in Sunnyvale, CA, the solution is apparently the first Skype-certified solution that allows businesses of 10-300 users to take advantage of Skype's service. The gateway can add up to four outgoing Skype lines to a Key system or PBX without requiring any changes to the equipment, phones, or user PCs, and allows all the phones extensions connected to the PBX to use Skype.

I've seen a small but growing number of companies coming out with innovative solutions that are designed to essentially "extend" broadband telephony services such as Vonage and now Skype and allow small businesses to take advantage of these low cost services, and I expect to see several more emerge in the coming months.